"The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it."

February 03, 2014

Valentine's Day for Pets

When I was a kid, my family had a cat named Bill. He was fat and fluffy and so handsome. He "let" me dress him in doll clothes and push him around in a toy pram. He always knew exactly when you needed him to sit on your lap and purr like his life depended on it. Bill was the most popular member of the family by a mile, and when he passed away I knew true grief for the first time.

Pets have an incomparable ability to bring us out of ourselves. Part of it comes from the responsibility of caring for an animal—it's hard to stay wrapped up in the day's anxieties when you're scooping poop—and part of it stems from the wordless, unconditional bond that pets and their people share. A little snuggle here, some belly rubs there, and even the most heinous doll outfit transgressions are forgiven.

So if you don't have a human companion (or even if you do!) why not celebrate Valentine's Day with your best fur buddies? Nothing says 'I love you' like a jaunty collar, a treat jar brimming with Greenies, or a cushy new bed. And if you can't house pets, spend some time volunteering for animals in need. After all, there's a lot to be said for a relationship in which you never have to shave your legs.